Support pours in for Stacey Abrams as she refuses to concede but admits she has lost

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has refused to give a concession speech after acknowledging that her rival, Republican Brian Kemp, will be Georgia’s next governor.

Abrams, the Democratic challenger, said this was not a "concession" but an acknowledgement she had not won. She also announced that she would file a federal suit against the state for "gross mismanagement" of the vote.

This is not a speech of concession, because concession means to acknowledge an action as right, true or proper. 

In the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections.

Georgia’s contentious gubernatorial race was seen as the epicentre of voter suppression, after civil rights groups accused Kemp of removing thousands from voting rolls. On election day, several polling stations in areas with high black populations had malfunctioning voting booths and were not given enough ballots.

Responding to Abrams’s speech, Kemp said:

We can no longer dwell on the divisive politics of the past but must focus on Georgia's bright and promising future.

Following Abrams’s non-concession, she has received wide praise for her handling of the situation and advocating for civil rights.

H/T: BBC News

More: Oprah is going door-to-door to get people to vote - you need to see it